Character Animator

Job Offer: Character Animator & Creator

• Company: MediaCraft.video
• Location: Remote (HQ in Poland, EU)
• Job Type: Freelance (Project-Based)

About the Role

MediaCraft.video is seeking an exceptional Character Animator & Creator to bring unique personalities to life through movement and emotion. We’re looking for a visionary artist who can create compelling characters from concept to final animation, combining classical animation principles with cutting-edge digital techniques. This role offers the opportunity to work on diverse projects ranging from animated features, interactive game characters to large scale projection mapping events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create expressive, emotionally resonant character animations
• Develop character concepts and contribute to character design
• Produce high-quality character rigs with excellent deformation
• Create and refine facial animation systems
• Deliver final animations with full lighting and rendering
• Collaborate with voice actors and mocap artists

Technical Requirements

Essential Skills:

• Animation Mastery:
  • Expert understanding and application of Disney’s 12 Principles of Animation
  • Advanced knowledge of human and animal anatomy and movement
  • Exceptional acting skills translated through animation
  • Ability to create nuanced facial expressions and lip sync
• Software Proficiency:
  • Expert in Blender (preferred)
  • Proficient in Maya or Cinema 4D (as alternatives)
  • Experience with real-time animation tools (Unreal Engine)
• Rigging Expertise:
  • Ability to create custom character rigs
  • Proficiency with auto-rigging tools and plugins:
    • Blender: Rigify, Auto-Rig Pro, Face It
    • Maya: Advanced Skeleton, mGear
    • Universal: Mixamo, DeepMotion
  • Understanding of muscle systems and dynamic rigging

Additional Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of professional character animation experience
• Understanding of cinematography and camera movement
• Ability to animate in different styles (realistic to stylized)

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with:
  • Real-time facial capture systems (Apple ARKit, Rokoko Face Capture)
  • Procedural animation techniques
  • Python scripting for animation tools
  • Strong acting skills for reference footage creation
• Knowledge of:
  • Cloth and hair simulation
  • Muscle systems (Ziva Dynamics, Muscles System)
  • Virtual production workflows

MediaCraft.video provides:

• Remote render station access
• Licenses for required plugins and tools
• Voice actor connections when needed

Current Projects Include:

• Animated feature film characters
• Game cinematics for AAA titles
• Interactive AI-driven characters

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Deep passion for character animation
• Strong understanding of acting and emotion
• Eye for detail in movement and timing
• Ability to take direction and iterate quickly

Portfolio Requirements

Please provide:

1. Character animation reel demonstrating:
   • Range of emotions and acting
   • Various character types and styles
   • Both body mechanics and facial animation
2. Rigging showcase:
   • Examples of custom rigs
   • Demonstration of rig functionality

Why Join MediaCraft.video?

• Work on diverse, character-driven projects
• Creative freedom to develop unique characters

Technical Pipeline

Software Ecosystem:

• Primary: Blender 4.0+
• Secondary: Maya, Cinema 4D
• Supporting tools:
  • Character Creator/iClone
  • Marvelous Designer
• Rendering:
  • Cycles, (Blender)
  • Arnold, Redshift

To Apply

Submit to makaruk@mediacraft.video:

1. Character and rendered animation reel (a list completed animated movies or shots or a compilation of shots / videos)
2. Fee expectations

Additional Information

Project Specifications:

• Average Project Duration: 1-3 months
• Delivery Formats: Up to 4K 50fps
• Typical Scope: 2-5 minutes of final animation

Collaboration Tools:

• SyncSketch, Frame.io, Kitsu for animation review
• Asana for team communication

Join us in bringing unforgettable characters to life!